1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to vehicle navigation and more particularly relates to a method for generating turn-by-turn directions to a moving waypoint based on constraints from transportation network that may be reflected in a map database.
2. Description of the Related Art
Present vehicle navigation systems typically can provide a driver turn-by-turn directions to a fixed point on a map, such as a sports stadium or airport. There are also systems that report the positions of moving vehicles, such as a fleet of delivery trucks to a central control station. One example system describes a computer-implemented method for tracking and mapping a position of mobile object using a global positioning system (GPS) receiver.
In an unrelated field of aircraft navigation, flight management systems allow an aircraft to intercept a moving waypoint, such as an aircraft rendezvousing with an aerial refueling tanker. Although these systems teach the exchange of position data between vehicles, they are not suitable for intercepting ground vehicles whose movement is constrained by a local road network. Another system teaches some exchange of position-type information between ground vehicles, but again fails to address the constraints imposed by the local road network.
To solve the aforementioned problems associated with rendezvousing with a moving waypoint within a constrained road network, the present invention provides a unique method that includes predicting the most probable path of the moving waypoint in order to compute a rendezvous point to which turn-by-turn directions can be generated and provided to a vehicle tracking the moving waypoint.